WEBVTT STATISTIC.ACCORDING TO THE CDC, 91AMERICANS WILL DIE TODAY FROM ANOPIOID OVERDOSE.COMPARE THAT TO THE SIX WHO WILLDIE FROM ALCOHOL POISONING.IT'S AN EPIDEMIC RAVAGINGFAMILIES WITH ADDICTS STRUGGLINGFROM THE STIGMA, TREATMENT, ANDSHAME.FORMER CONGRESSMAN PATRICKKENNEDY IS NO STRANGER TO THATSHAME.HIS CAREER CAME TO AN ABRUPT ENDWHEN HE CRASHED HIS CAR INTO ASECURITY BARRIER ON CAPITOLHILL.KENNEDY THOUGHT HE WAS RUSHINGTO RECORD A VOTE AT 2:45 A.M. KENNEDY WAS AN ADDICT, AND HADDICTION WAS A SECRET, ANDSUDDENLY, HE WAS EXPOSED.PATRICK, THE YOUNGEST CHILD OFSENATOR TED KENNEDY, KNOWS THATSILENCE ISN'T JUST A KENNEDYFAMILY ISSUE.IT'S AN AMERICAN ISSUE.NICE TO TALK WITH YOU.THE STATISTICS ON AROUNDADDICTION AND FRANKLY DOUBT FROMOVERDOSE ARE CRAZY.THEY ARE SO HIGH, AND YET, THISEPIDEMIC FEELS UNCOVERED TO ME.WHY IS THAT?REP. KENNEDY: IF THIS WAS INFECTIOUS DISEASE, WE WOULD BEFREAKING OUT.WE WOULD BE SPENDING MILLIONS OFDOLLARS TO ADDRESS IT.THINK HOW PANICKED WE WERE ABOUTEBOLA AND ZIKA.WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE DYING OFOPIOID OVERDOSE IN A YEAR THWERE KILLED IN THE ENTIREVIETNAM WAR.HANWERE KILLED IN THE ENTIREVIETNAM WAR.THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT HAS BEENCOVERED MORE RECENTLY THAN ITEVER HAS BEFORE, BUT WE ARESTILL NOT SEEING THE RESPONSECOMMENSURATE WITH IF THIS WEREANY OTHER SET OF ILLNESSES.WE WOULD BE REACTING A LOT MOREAGGRESSIVELY.SOLEDAD: YOU WROTE A BOOK ABOUTYOUR ADDICTION CALLED "COMMONSTRUGGLE ADDICTIONIT REALLY WORKS THROUGH YOURPERSONAL STORY.IT SEEMS TO ME THE KENNEDYS, ASI'M SURE YOU HEARD A MILLIONTIMES, ARE ADDICTION."IT REALLY WORKS THROUGH YOURPERSONAL STORY.AMERICA'S ROYALTY,AND IF YOU ARE WELL OFF INAMERICA AND YOU ARE AN ADDICT,YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT PATHCOMPARED TO IF YOU HAVE NO MONEYAND NO ASSETS AND YOU ARE ANASSET -- ADDICT.REP. KENNEDY: WHAT IS COMMONABOUT BEING A KENNEDY?THE IRONY IS, I KEPT MY FAMILYSECRETS, MY MOTHER'S ALCOHOLISM,MY DAD SELF-MEDICATING THROUGHPOSTTRAUMATIC STRESS, ALL TOMYSELF, NOT REALIZING THAT ALLOF THESE THINGS WERE WRITTENABOUT IN BOOKS ALL THROUGH THEBOOKSTORE.YET I WAS PARALYZED BY THESILENCE IN MY FAMILY THAT YOUDON'T TALK ABOUT THESE ISSUES.SOLEDAD: TELL ME ABOUT YOURADDICTION.YOU WROTE ABOUT IT A LOT IN YOURBOOK.REP. KENNEDY: I STARTED DRINKINGAT 13.I THEN STARTED USING COCAINESHORTLY THEREAFTER.I BOTTOMED OUT PRINCIPALLYBECAUSE OF THE COCAINE AT AGE 17WHERE I WENT TO DRUG REHAB FORTHE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFTHAT WAS TO END UP BEING THECASE FOR ME ON NUMEROUS OTHEROCCASIONS AS I PROGRESSED IN MYILLNESS, FORGETTING THE FACTTHAT I HAVE A CHRONIC ILLNESS,AND IT CAN'T BE TREATED WITH ONEEPISODE OF CARE.SOLEDAD: HOW MANY TIMES WERE YOUIN REHAB?REP. KENNEDY: ABOUT A DOZENTIMES.SOLEDAD: THAT'S PRETTY AVERAGEPEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW OFADDICTION THINK ABOUT REHAB AS,YOU GO, COME BACK, AND YOU AREFINE, BUT MOST PEOPLE GO A DOZENTIMES OR MORE.THAT'S THE PROBLEM.REP. KENNEDY: OUR HEALINSURANCE SYSTEM, EVEN THOUGH ITDOESN'T SYSTEM, EVEN THOUGH ITDOESN'T COVER MOST PEOPLESINPATIENT REHAB, IT COVERED AMINE.THEY HAVE NO SYSTEM TO TAKINGCARE OF YOU AFTER REHAB ORDETOX.THE BIG CHALLENGE WE HAVE IN OURMEDICAL SYSTEM IS TO TREAT THISLIKE A CHRONIC ILLNESS, LIKE WEWOULD DIABETES, OR LIKE WE WOULDASTHMA.SOLEDAD: HOW IS YOUR ADDICTIONTODAY?REP. KENNEDY: I GO TO 12-STEPMEETINGS EVERY DAY THAT I CAN IFI'M ON THE ROAD.IT IS SOMETHING -- I TRY TO LOFOR A MEETING WHEN I'M ON THEROAD.I'VE MADE IT THROUGH THE PASTSIX YEARS OF CONTINUES --CONTINUOUS, UNINTERRUPTEDSOBRIETY.I'M ABLE TO DO THAT BECAUSE IHAVE A LARGE SUPPORT GROUP,PEOPLE ALSO IN RECOVERY WITH ME.I AM ALSO ABLE TO SAY THATBECAUSE I HAVE FAMILY THATSUPPORTS ME BEING ACTIVE INRECOVERY, WHICH I CAN'T SAY FORA LOT OF FELLOWS IN RECOVERYWHOSE FAMILIES DON'T UNDERSTANDAND DON'T TRY TO SUPPORT THEM.I'VE GOT IT ALL.I AM BLESSED.I HAVE TO TAKE THIS ONE DAY AT ATIME, AS EVERYBODY KNOWS IN THEPROGRAM, AND IF I DO, I WILL BE

Patrick Kennedy: We Must Treat Addiction Like a Chronic Disease

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Updated: 6:34 PM EDT Apr 14, 2017

More Americans die from drug overdose than from car crashes or gun violence. According to CDC estimates, 91 Americans fatally overdose every day compared to the six who die from alcohol poisoning. Former congressman Patrick Kennedy, an addict in recovery, understands the continual struggle in managing addiction. His congressional career ended infamously when he crashed his car into a security barrier on Capitol Hill, claiming he needed to record a vote at 2:45 AM. He had mixed two drugs prescribed for sleep.

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Now he advocates for better treatment of addiction. Kennedy says we can mitigate the opioid epidemic, but first we have to begin treating it like other chronic diseases such as asthma or diabetes. He talks with Soledad O’Brien about the challenges of addiction, his ideas for improving America’s healthcare and the secrets his family kept.